Christmas rose

[kris-muhs rohz]

noun

1. a European hellebore, Helleborus niger, widely cultivated for its attractive and hardy evergreen leaves and white-to-purplish flowers that bloom in the winter: the entire Christmas rose plant is poisonous.

Christmas rose

noun

1. Also called: hellebore.  winter rose. an evergreen ranunculaceous plant, Helleborus niger, of S Europe and W Asia, with white or pinkish winter-blooming flowers

Word History and Origins

Origin of Christmas rose¹

First recorded in 1680–90